The Broken Path
by CharlesLH
Summary: The summer after seventh grade brings Arthur wondering if he will ever reunite with his friends after an intense argument broke them apart the past autumn. Francine, Muffy, Brain, and Buster all are struggling through life after their strong bond was broken. An unexpected reunion puts them together at last...but is that such a good thing after what happened?
1. Chapter I

**_NOTE: I just want to say thank you to everyone that has been reading this. I had no idea I would get so many views! So I just had a HUGE problem and lost a few files that had some work for my story. I have to rewrite a few things now, so please be patient! Thanks! -CharlesLH_**

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_Disclaimer: All characters owned by Marc Brown and his army._

**The Broken Path**

_an Arthur fanfiction _

**Chapter I**

With a look in his eyes that seemed almost sorrowful, the thirteen-year-old Arthur Timothy Read glanced through his assortment of pictures and sighed as he saw the photos of him and his friends just a few years past. He was taller now, but he was the same person as he had been in Mr Ratburn's third grade class. Although he was five years older, he was, indeed, the same old guy. It had seemed like just yesterday that Francine had been teasing his glasses, that Buster had thought that Sue Ellen was an alien, that his friends had entered a contest and some Oklahoma girl won. Had it really been that long ago? The memories were so close, yet so far away.

Arthur adjusted his brown, circular glasses and loooked out at Elwood City. He saw Fracine's apartment, Buster's condo, the Brain's house, Muffy's mansion, the Sugar Bowl...and he saw the treehouse, the one that George's dad had built for them years before, the one that they visited every single day. The sun was setting upon it, and Arthur slipped on his sandals then walked downstairs, past his eight-year-old and five-year-old sisters, off to the world outside.

The music that Francine was playing on her headphones was a familiar tune, but unlike those she normally listened to, it was slow and with a soft violin humming in the bacground. She glanced at the track and realized who was playing, then put it down and adjusted her place on her bed as she read a Henry Skreever book. She remembered in third grade, when the books were only just being released, when her friends would compete to see who could finish them first. Those had been the days. All had been carefree and joyful, and there wasn't much to worry about in life. There were really no worries, no troubles. Now with her mother being ill, there were plenty of worries and plenty of troubles. Nothing could ever be well again, at least not to her. Being the preteen she was, things were much more difficult than she had expected when she turned thirteen. It wasn't how it should have been. It was terrifying.

The page she turned to had a note slipped inside of it, written in the handwriting of a third-grader: meeting at the treehouse after school, from Buster. What had it been a meeting for? Francine recalled the treehouse and thought of how nice it had been to sit back and hear the birds chirping and the grass whistling with the breeze. What a great year that had been...she forgot exactly why they had abandoned the tree house, she only remembered that it had something to do with a fight. but the time was past, and she had erased that day from her memory. That day in sixth grade...it was all coming back to her...but Francine shook the thoughts from her head and walked out the door, in the direction of the treehouse. The city was beginning to darken, but she really didn't care. She had to see her second home once again.

Even though he usually got quite excited to play Virtual Goose Version 14.0, there was something on Buster's mind that kept him from his game. It was that moment that he realized how lonely he really was, how much he missed the days when he would talk to Arthur, Francine, Muffy, brain, and even Binky about his problems, about his parents, about everything. There was nobody his age to talk to anymore. He had had friends during the school year, but none had been as special to him as those previously named. When he saw them in the halls, they had pretended not to see him, and he did the same, but even as they said not a word, a conversation occurred. They both saw each other, and they both knew exactly what each other was thinking. There was barely any hope left in him to be joyful again.

Buster sighed and played around with the files on his computer. And the tears began to come as he scrolled through the photos of all the beginning of his childhood. So many good times. Buster couldn't believe that he had wasted a year of what could have been full of fun with his friends from Elementary School and tried to forget about it all. But he simply couldn't forget. They were so valuable to his heart, that even what they had said to him that one day the summer before could make him forget. A tear rolled down Buster's cheek as he walked from his computer chair to his door and left for the treehouse. That was all he wanted then. To relive the memories, and hopefully to create more.

The old essays, papers, math equations, and word problems all were seen to Brain as he felt througgh the stack of papers and remembered all his days past. The last year had been his worst, academically and mentally. He couldn't let go of the day that they had fought. It had been serious. The words rang once again in his mind, exactly what had been said, and esactly how the friendship ahd ended. He couldn't help but feel guilty as being the one who provoked it. The memories couldn't stay out of his mind, and every day, when he should have been working dilligently on his Math homework, he thought of the day it had happened. And the days before, how great they had been. Those days of no worries, those days of joy. It was all gone.

Today would really be the day, the day he had been wanting to have for the whole year. He approached the door and set off for the treehouse, even as the sun was setting, for the darkness wouldn't stop him. Maybe their friendship would mend.

Even as Bailey gave the most tempting offers for dessert, the thirteen-year-old Mary Alice Crosswire simply couldn't eat. There were other things she was thinking of, other things that wouldn't rest.

"Please, Miss Muffy, you must eat," pleaded Bailey.

"Bailey, don't you have something else to do? I just want to be alone right now."

He sighed and said in a dragging tone, "Of course, Miss Muffy."

The past year had been tough. It seemed like just yesterday that the fight had occurred, but that was only because she couldn't get it out of her head. Her mother had lost her job, putting great shame to the Crosswire family, and although they were still millionaires, it had been the first time that her life had any limits. And there was nobody to get her through her problems, nobody to talk to, no one to run to. A year wasted because of a silly fight. One thing had changed her relationship with her friends, and now she was lonelier than ever. Even with all of the luxuries her life possessed, Muffy was, for the first time, alone.

Although she usually took the limousine, Muffy didn't feel like riding in a car. She wanted to walk along the sidewalk like her and her friends used to. To get to the treehouse, and talk about their ideas, their problems, and just their lives. She saw it in the distance in the faint sunlight and headed that way, without telling her parents. But she knew that they had their own troubles to deal with. Muffy was unaware of what was to come. She didn't know what the treehouse would bring upon her, what she would feel. But she set off, off seeking hope on the path that had been broken only by a single argument.


	2. Chapter II

**The Broken Path**

_An Arthur FanFiction_

Chapter II

That One October Day

It had been almost a year since Arthur had climbed the wooden ladder to the treehouse. It seemed like he had been away from the structure for several, however. He fumbled with his glasses again as he reluctantly stepped on the first rung of the ladder. The treehouse was twitching in the breeze, birds flying around it. It seemed as if a light had gone on inside. Arthur poked his eyes above the floor and tried to hide, but was somehow unable to do so.

"Arthur!" The girl inside immediately covered her mouth, wishing she had pretended not to see him.

"Francine!" Like there was nothing else to do, Arthur stepped into the treehouse and heard it creak. Theree was a moment of awkward and utter silence, until Arthur gave way to memories. "Remember when we used to come here every day...when we used to solve mysteries, and write stories, and have a great time together?" Arthur remarked.

Francine sighed. "I miss those days. And they came and went so quickly...the memories are..."

"So close, yet so far away..."

They heard a sound coming up the ladder. Soon, two white ears poked from the outside. "Buster!" Arthur and Francine said. Not wanting to look, Buster slowly crept his head up towards the inside of the treehouse. "Arthur? Francine?"

"Buster?" They said again.

"You don't know how much I've missed you guys..." He looked scared, as if he were about to cry in fear, not sadness or joy.

"I...I don't know..." Francine began quietly. "I don't know how I survived this year. I've been so lonely and miserable. My mom..." She faded off into silence.

"What?" asked Arthur.

"She's...sick...the doctor said she might not live for more than another month," Francine began to cry silently. Through tears, she said: "Its been even harder without any friends to help me get through with it."

Arthur and Buster looked at each other as though they didn't know what to do. It would be awkward to show any sympathy because of what had happened that one October day...but it would be rude not to say anything.

Breaking the silence, Muffy crept up from the outside. "Guys?" she had a surprised look in her eyes. Immediately, Francine slid towards the back of the treehouse. Slowly, like a mother, Muffy began to speak. "Francine...I...I don't know what to say. Its been so long, but it seems like just yesterday that we were at my house playing with the latest computer games."

Francine nodded as she wiped off the tears.

"And I was thinking about you. I want you to know...that I'm sorry. I want us to be friends again. I want us all to be friends." She looked at Arthur and Buster. "I was so rude to you, and what I said to you, Francine..." They looked like they were imagining a recollection...a recollection of that one October day...

The sky was pink and the air was crisp, allowing the cold shivers to creep into warmer air. The swingset on the Lakewood Elementary playground creaked in the distance as five friends watched from a bird's eye view. From underneath the treehouse came a seventh-grade Alan "The Brain" Powers, an angry expression upon his face. "I hate it when they fight. I hate it SO MUCH!" He kicked a stone at the tree and began to climb up to his friends, who watched worriedly from above. When he reached the top, he didn't even acknowledge their presence, but continued to grumble on.

Buster began to speak. "Brain, when my parents were fighting, I just-"

"Shut up!"

"Brain-"

"I said, SHUT UP!"

A hurt expression crept onto Buster's face. "Well, you're not so smart when it comes to family, are you Brain?" he remarked snidely.

Muffy was looking upset that one day, as well. "Well at least you don't have it as bad as I do, Brain. I'm going to be poor. My mumsy lost her job and Daddy's business is falling apart. We're losing money every day, even as we speak. And your worried about a single argument?"

"All you think about is you, you you, Muffy! Arthur shouted. "You STILL have more money than all of us combined, and you're complaining?"

"Yes! We're going to be poor and Daddy's going to become a garbage man and we're gong to live in a gross apartment! Vomitrocious!"

Francine looked like she was about to cry. "You monster, Muffy, Arthur's right."

Arthur, who had been quiet mostly the whole time, let out a yell that echoed through Elwood City. All was silent.

Buster gave a determined look. "Well I'm leaving. I don't need friends that are going to be as selfish and rude as you guys.." He stormed off down the ladder.

"Muffy, you little brat..." Brain remarked.

"Brain, GO AWAY!" Muffy ordered.

"Fine!"

"Good, nobody wants you here anyway with your stupid complaining!"

As Brain quickly barreled down the ladder, he tripped on Buster, who was still slowly traveling downward. Neither of them noticed George Lundgrin, who had been trying to get inside the treehouse, but couldn't because of Buster's blockade. He was moving slowly downward, for his dummy was in hand and he was only using his left hand to climb. As Buster fell from Brain's trip, he fell onto George, who plummeted to the ground. The crack of a wooden Dummy's neck was heard on the ground and another crack as well, but this one was certainly not wood. George let out a shriek and Brain fled the scene, as did Buster, Francine, and Muffy. Arthur stood over George, a horrified expression on his face. George was bleeding all over, and his mouth was wide open. He was alive, but in great pain. The boy not moving, and as Arthur screamed for help, help refused to come for ten minutes. It was almost too late.

George spent his seventh-grade year in the hospital, never returning to school. He would have to do his work over the summer, even as he was still healing. And it all happened that one October day...that horrific October day.

As Buster, Francine, Muffy, and Arthur recalled the memory, they regretted everything and couldn't help but think, "What if it had never happened? Where would they be then?" It seemed impossible for them to ever become friends again. And as they sat in the treehouse, the good and bad memories flooding back, there came Brain, the one who had began it all. Unlike the others, he saw them in a circle in the treehouse. Hesitantly and looking as if he were building his courage, he stepped on the first rung of the ladder, wondering what was yet to come.


	3. Chapter III

**The Broken Path**

_an Arthur FanFiction_

**Chapter III**

Brain slowly approached the top of the tree and saw that they were all inside, all the ones who had been there that one October day. He stood on the inside and tried to smile. Brain was taller than the rest, for he had stayed back a grade in elementary school, and he was really a year older than them all, and much more intelligent. He closed his eyes and realized that it would be the most difficult for him to apologize, but it was still required of him, at least in his mind.

"I haven't spoken to you guys in so long..." He twiddled his thumbs. "And I want you to know how sorry I am. Its been a hard year for me, with my parents fighting and all, but they're doing really well now. I know its hard after what happened last October, but I want to ask your forgiveness. I want us to be friends.

The looks in their eyes meant that it was a hard decision. Arthur looked at him. "I forgive you Brain." Buster did so as well, as did Muffy. Francine kept silent, sitting in the far corner with her arms crossed in doubt.

"Francine?" Brain provoked forgiveness.

"I...I just can't! Not after what you did to George!" Francine stormed off down the ladder.

A sad expression came upon Brain. "I knew this would happen."

Arthur gave a comforting smile. "You know how Francine can be. Give her a chance to calm down."

Brain nodded.

"Are we all friends again, then?" Muffy asked for reassurance.

Each of them nodded silently. Although their friendship had been mended, this was not the time to talk.

Buster glanced at his friends. "I think we all know what we need to do now." They nodded once again and left the treehouse, Francine's silhouette seen moving in the distance.

Buster knocked on the wooden door, the late-June sun completely setting behind him. Behind him stood Arthur, Muffy, and Brain, all worriedly glancing at the almost-night sky.

A tall woman with antlers that almost touched the ceiling opened the door. "What are you kids doing out so late?" she asked with suspicious eyes.

"We've come to see George," Muffy said.

"Oh, you must be-" She gasped. "If you are here to hurt him anymore you can forget about coming back again. He's almost completely recovered from that fall. If you-" she wasn't able to complete her sentence.

"We've come to apologize," Muffy interrupted.

A delighted grin brightened the night from Mrs Lundgrin. "Of course," she said. 'I have been dreaming of this day all year."

Each of them walked up the stairs, and individually walked into George's room. Buster went first voluntarily.

"George?" The young moose sat on his bed, looking much better than when they had seen him earlier that year.

"Buster?" He looked surprised by both who the visitor was and the time of day they were visiting.

"George, I had no idea it was so bad." He glanced at George's cast, propped on the table beside him.

"Its really not so bad now. I can't feel a thing, really. I'm getting the cast off in three days, and I can enjoy the rest of the summer with you guys!"

"You mean- you don't hate us for what happened?"

"Of course not! It was an accident!"

Buster put his head in his hands, realizing that all of the drama that he had been put through that year could have easily been avoided. He sighed. "Well George, I'm sorry you had to be put through this mess. I'm sorry that I was a part of the problem. And I can't wait until you're better and we can hang out this summer."

George nodded. "I've been looking forward to it all year. I've been counting down the days until I'm better for days and days and days."

"Alright George. Muffy wants to talk to you now, so I'd better leave."

And soon, Muffy, Buster, and Arthur, all bore smiles, for they were all reassured that George had happily accepted their apology.

It was Brain's turn next.

The words echoed through his mind. "I hate it when they fight. I hate it!" He remembered back to when they were fighting..."Well maybe if you were being a better father the ice cream shop wouldn't be going into debt!" and "That has nothing to do with it! I wish I were never married to you, you beast!" They all seemed so intense, so powerful. Then Brain heard the crack of the Dummy's neck, and the second crack, George's leg breaking. It played itself over and over as if a CD were skipping. When he thought of his parents fighting months ago, it was not to scale with crippling a poor twelve-year-old boy. When George had turned thirteen in December, there had been a party, even as he was badly injured and in the hospital. Brain did not attend. He was guilty. he couldn't show his face to George again. He imagined the hatred that George would give him, would he ever show forgiveness? Brain knew that things had ended well for his friends, but would the game play itself out in his favor as well? It was unimaginable. He could never be forgiven. Brain was then taken back to third grade, when George had been just a normal friend...when they had thought he was annoying with his dummy...when they had become friends...when George was a part of Fern's poetry reading...all of the memories seemed worthless compared to what had happened in October...were they? With smiles on their faces, Arthur, Muffy, and Buster all pushed him forward to enter George's room, lined with baseball merchandise and Grebes memorabilia. George's love of baseball was probably what kept him entertained that year. But Brain had other things to worry about.

He clutched the door handle and walked inside.


	4. Chapter VI

**The Broken Path**

_an Arthur FanFiction_

**Chapter IV**

Brain tried to push aside the memories that he had of George, the fun things that they had done years ago. It all seemed to weigh like a feather when put to scale with what he had done. George had forgiven Muffy, Arthur, and Buster, but would he be as forgiving towards Brain? Certainly not...

"George?" he said the antlered boy's name with a curious tone.

"Brain?" He seemed like he wanted to be friendlier, but just couldn't aafter what had happened.

"How have you been?"

"Its been a rough year. Feels like I'll never get out of this cast."

Brain hung his head low and abandoned the small talk. "I'm sorry George," he blurted out. "It was all my fault that you're here in bed on such a nice day, and you have been all year."

George was hesitant to speak. "Its...its okay, Brain. I accept your apology. My mom told me that this day would come." He chuckled. "But I definitely didn't thinkit would be today...or right now at this time of night."

Brain's eyes were watering as he looked at George. That should be me, he thought. I should be the one in the cast, I should be the one missing school. Eventually he couldn't bear it any longer. "I have to go George," he said quickly and left with his head in his hands

"Did he not forgive you?" Arthur asked suspiciously.

"He forgave me...but I feel so undeserving. I should be the one like him right now. I don't forgive myself."

"Brain," Buster began. "It'll be fine. Let's all go home and get some rest."

And they did just that.

While Brain, Buster, Muffy, and Arthur spoke to George, a much more serious problem emerged from the Frensky household.

Francine walked from the treehouse, her fists clenched and her teeth bared. Eventually as she walked towards her apartment, she relaxed herself and fetl a calm sense of peace come over her. She felt it would be best to forgive Brain...that's what George would have done, and she was only a part of the conflict because of him. Now it would be her turn to apologize.

The lights in the apartment building were continuing to go off, flickering slightly and then shutting down as they alway had. Francine hadn't realized how late it was. She was sccheduled to be in bed in just ten minutes, but she was walking outside, her only light the moon and the dim streetlamps. Francine saw the majority of the lights out, but the one on the second story stayed lit. It was her house, and they usually had turned off the main light by then. What was happening? They were now the one and only light brightening the skies.

Francine began to run, forgetting about the troubles that the hours past had brought and sprinted towards the doors. She passed through the lobby and practically flew up the stairs. If what she thouight was happening, she had a reason to. A tear rolled down her cheek, nothing she could help, and she didn't even know what was occurring. But inside, there were plenty of people who were crying as well: Francine's dad, who was looking older every day, her sister Catherine, now in her second year of college, and her Bubba, who was turning ninety in just three days. Each of them had tears creeping from their eyes to their chins quite silently, but Francine knew that there was plenty of noise going on inside her head.

"What happened, guys?" Francine gasped and began to cry herself. It was strange, she didn't even know what they were crying about, but their sadness had infected her greatly.

"Francine, you mother is in critical condition." As her father said this, Francine grabbed Bubba and began to bawl her eyes out. "She fainted when I came home from woCatherine seemed as if she couldn't handle it any longer, and left for herr and Francine's room.

"But she had been doing so well...she was about to come home for good."

":I guess they shouldn;t have let her visit for so long."

A handkerchief in hand, Catherine returned, her make-up spread across her face with the tears.

"Daddy?" Francine looked out the window. "Should we pray?"

Her father nodded and knelt on his knees before the window, as did Bubba, Catherine, and Francine. Although Francine could not understand more than half of the Hebrew words, she knew what he was saying: "Please Lord, help us in these times of trouble."

That day opened Francine's eyes to what was occurring, and she then realized how serious the matter was. As they retreated from prayer, Francine remembered Brain and how she had treated him earlier. What a brat she was! As she closed her eyes and wished it would all fade away into the night, the stars gleamed upon her and her family. They showed her a hope as she lifted her eyelids...hope to mend the broken path her family and friends had stumbled upon.

The following day, the Frensky family awoke as they usually did. Their morning was more silent than ever, and Bubba wasn't even rambling on about "kids these days." Catherine prepared breakfast, and her father set the table. Quietly, she said: "Is Francine still in her room upset about Mom? Someone should go in and talk to her. Its especially hard for her since she's still a kid..."

"She's thirteen...I think she'd like to be left alone," her father stated softly.

Bubba began to change the subject. "Son, did you book my flight back to L.A.? Ellie wants me to visit her in a few weeks, and I want some time to rejuvenate." She chuckled, but quieted, realizing that it really wasn't the best time.

"I'll get it, Mom," Mr Frensky replied. "And I'm sorry to put you through all this while you're visiting."

"It's fine, Oliver," she said. "And at least I got to see my daughter in law before-" There was a lng pause.

"Before she dies?" Mr Frensky finished.

Bubba hung her head low. "I'm sorry." She dragged out the last word.

"Its fine." Another long pause. "How about you go and wake Franky, Mom?"

"Of course, Oliver." She wiped her brow and set down the hall.

When Bubba reached the end of the hall where Francine's room was positioned, she opened the door and gasped. The blankets lay cold on the bed, the pillow only having a soft imprint on it. Francine was gone.


	5. Chapter V

**Sorry, everyone for the wait. Hope you all enjoy and please review! :)**

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**The Broken Path**

_an Arthur FanFiction_

**Chapter V**

The ten-year-old Dora Winifred Read slept silently on her bed in her room, which was smaller than when she was younger after a divider split it into two for her five-year-old sister Kate's room. She was whispering something in her sleep, something about someone dying, something strange. Her stuffed animals lay scattered on the floor. Although she didn't play with them much anymore in the fifth grade, her sister sometimes took them and played with them in DW's room.

When sleeping, DW almost looked like she did when she was five, but it seems like everyone looks younger in their sleep. Her expression was scared, like when she used to run from the Tibble twins when they told her horror stories. Though the early summer night was peaceful, in DW's head there was a fear like no other.

A little girl stood in the center of the room, beside another. The first one was her, DW, and the second one was a girl with only a very long shirt on and her hair in a pony tail. "Nadine?" DW said. It had been a few weeks since DW had called for Nadine, her imaginary friend. "DW?" Nadine looked weary. She grabbed DW's hand and looked at it. "I think...I think that the time has come..."

DW looked unsure of what she meant.

"It is time for me to go now, DW," Nadine said. "You've made your point."

"My point?"

"You don't want me around anymore, DW. You haven't called for me in twenty-one days, six hours, eighteen minutes and-" She yawned. "thirty five seconds."

DW was in shock.

"Thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty, forty-one..."

There was not much else to be said.

"Goodbye, DW. I'll miss the days that we talked about your problems...the days we sat together ad had tea parties, the days we talked about how to deal with Arthur..." She yawned once more. "They told me that it would be time soon. I didn't believe them, but they were right. DW, its time for me to say goodbye."

"No, don't go!"

"I've made up my mind, DW. Goodbye..." Her picture faded away.

That morning, DW awoke with a small, faint scream. She imagined Nadine, she tried to summon her. But nothing came. Forever she would be gone.

The Frensky household was chaotic that morning, the search for Francine occupying their every movement.

Bubba was in a frantic search for her plane ticket to fly to California.

Oliver was worrying about all of his problems, from Francine's dissapearance to his wife's illness.

Catherine was trying to get a hold of the police and tell them of their dilemma.

"Oliver, I gotta get this ticket, do you know where it is?"

"Mom, I'll get it for you in a second," said Mr Frensky as he sat on the couch, his head in his hands. "...what will her mother say...it should be me in the hospital...I was never meant to be a stay-at-home dad...how will I do this if she...if she..." He began to cry, the tears dropping onto his lap.

"Is this the police? Yes? I'd like to report a missing child-Francine Frensky, thirteen years old."

"I need my plane ticket, son! The plane leaves at 8:30. Its 8:00!"

"I'll get it, mom." Mr Frensky wiped off his tears. He ran into his room and grabbed the ticket, then violently pushed it into his mother's hands. "Have fun on your plane ride."

Bubba gave a worried look. "I'm sorry I can't be around for this. I really wish I could, but Millie is expecting me in L.A. and I can't-"

"Just go, Mom."

Bubba nodded worriedly and left, without even hugging goodbye. "I do hope they can get along without me," she muttered under her breath.

They couldn't.

Down a long ways, across the bridge between Elwood City and Mountain City, Francine Frenskygazed upon the heart of Elwood City. Although it was the same place she had lived all her life, this section was a world she didn't know. She had stepped into a world away from her life as a thirteen-year-old child, away from her innocence.

The towers loomed above her, casting shadows over her chocolate-brown hair and tan skin. Although she was now as tall as some grown women (and sometimes men) she felt like the smallest person on earth. It was almost like standing beside Binky, the toughest, biggest, and strongest kid she knew. Or next to Prunella, who was tall, but that wasn't what made her seem big. She acted so high above evevryone else at times-she was really unpredictable at times. She seemed to alternate between a super-popular girl mood, a know-it-all attitude, and the Henry Skreever-obsessed, fortune-telling personality.

Francine walked until she saw the sign: Elwood Hospital: Proudly Healing Our City Since 1958. The building was one of the tallest she had seen, besides the ones in Crown City, the skyscrapers and the tall apartment buildings, even taller than her own. Francine approached the door and walked in to the sound of beeping and the sight of lights flashing: just another day at the hospital.

"Hello," she said to the man at the front desk. "I'm here to see Mrs Frensky."

He gulped and glanced at the employees behind him. "Room 714, kid."

Francine quickly made her way up the staircase and stopped at the top hall, all the room numbers from 700-799. It seemed that the top floor was for the patients in the worst condition.

710, 711, 712, 713...714. The name plate read just the last name: FRENSKY

Francine stopped and said a prayer in her mind. She twisted the doorknob and opened her mouth towards what lay inside. There her mom sat, bandaged and lonely. "Mom!"

The lump under the blankets spoke in a raspy voice. "Francine? They said you were missing." There was a monitor displaying a green line which represented her heart rate. Gradually it got lower and lower. Soon Francine's father and sister walked in. "Francine!" Oliver yelled. His happy expression weakened when he saw his wife's face.

"Goodbye," She paused. "Goodbye, Oliver." There was a long beep. as the line on th emonitor became smooth on the bottom. She was dead.


End file.
